Looked Over, Not Overlooked
by rosie0522
Summary: Sophie Dunman is a thirteen year old genius. She's supposedly got an IQ higher than even Dr. Spencer Reid's, and is better with computers and technology than even Penelope Garcia. The BAU is looking for a Technical-Analyst-in-training, and she's been recommended. But by who? And what will happen if she gets the job? Please give feedback! (Borderline Crack fic!)
1. The Recommendation

**Hey everyone! So, I was just reading some Criminal Minds stories, and this just popped into my head! It's my first Criminal Minds fic, and my first "crime-type" fic, too, so critique is welcome! Just no flames, please! Enjoy!**

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_"It is better to be looked over than overlooked."- Mae West_

_Behavioral Analysis Unit Headquarters, Quantico, Virginia-_

The BAU team was exhausted. They had just returned from a grueling two-and-a-half weeks long child-abduction/homicide case, and it had put everyone in a grim mood. They had caught the UNSUB, but no matter what they saw in these cases, they still couldn't believe all the awful things that people in this world did.

They all stepped off the elevator, and each went to their respective desks or offices to begin the long paperwork process. Aaron Hotchner, Unit Chief of the BAU, walked to his office, shut the door behind him, and sank into the chair behind his desk with a weary sigh. How long could he keep seeing these things?

He shook his head a bit and opened his laptop to check his work files and emails. When he checked his inbox, he saw a new email from an unknown, unnamed source. He clicked it curiously.

When he opened it, he found many official documents waiting, along with a message that read:

_Agent Hotchner,_

_I know who you are, but you don't know who I am, and I'd like to keep it that way for the time being, until I see what effect this will have. So, no introductions. Let me get to the point. These documents are all official records of one young girl, a Miss Sophie Dunman. She happens to be, quite literally, a genius. And before you doubt, let me remind you that you work with a man who graduated college at fourteen. Also, a literal genius._

_Miss Dunman is only thirteen years old, however, she has a higher IQ than your S.S.A. Dr. Spencer Reid. She could beat him in every way possible, including physically. However, her genius is more centered around technology, rather than science and coding. I've personally seen her in action, and she has done things with computers and scientific equipment on levels that surpass even your Technical Analyst Penelope Garcia. She comes from the same background as Ms. Garcia, and I myself, like you, saved her from being locked up in a juvenile detention center for the rest of her life. She is very bright._

_I recently heard that your unit was searching for a back-up Technical Analyst, a Technical-Analyst-in-training, if you will. When I heard, I just knew that Miss Dunman was the one for the job. I assure you, if things work out, I will reveal myself to you. You actually, in fact, work with me already, but in order not to show favoritism, I must keep my identity a secret for the time being. I must insist that you look at her records, and consider her for the job, in spite of her young age. You may tell your team if you please. I suggest you do your own research on her as well. But please, give this girl a chance. And no, she does not know that I have sent you this email, so when you meet her, please, don't bring it up unless you feel it is necessary. Thank you._

That was where the email ended. Hotch blinked a few times, staring at his computer screen in shock and suspicion. He decided to call a team meeting. He stood up, closed his laptop and tucked it under his arm, and walked out of his office to the bullpen, where his team was doing their paperwork with slightly glazed eyes. He cleared his throat, and they all snapped to attention, instantly bringing their eyes to him.

"I need everyone to gather in the briefing room in five minutes. And please, someone, inform Garcia as well," he announced, and walked back into his office to gather anything he might need for this. Then he walked to the briefing room to prepare himself for what was to come.

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**Who is Sophie Dunman? And who is this mysterious person who recommended her for the job? And what will the team think? Feedback is appreciated!**


	2. The Meeting

**Hey guys! So, no reviews yet, but I see some of you did give this story a chance, and there's even a few favorites and follows, so I'll keep going! Here we go!**

**Oh, and I forgot to put this on the previous chapter, so-**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything you recognize, no copyright infringements are intended.**

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_"It is better to be looked over than overlooked."-Mae West_

_BAU Case-Briefing Room, Quantico, VA_

The team slowly trickled in one by one, Prentiss and Garcia coming in last. Hotch stood as they entered and shut the door behind them. They all sat at the table except JJ, who stood holding the remote to the screen. He realized that they all thought they had another case.

"JJ, sit down. There's no case," he said, and she and everyone else gave him confused looks before sitting down. "I received an email from an unknown source while we were away. It came three days ago. This is what it says." He opened the email again, and it showed on the screen because he had connected his laptop to it. They all read the email, and Garcia and Reid looked a bit stunned, but in their eyes, Hotch could see a bit of underlying jealousy. Who was this girl who was allegedly better at their jobs than themselves? Everyone looked to Hotch again as Rossi said, "Well, Aaron? What are you going to do?"

"That is exactly why I called this meeting. I wanted to ask you all what you believe I should do," he said, and they all exchanged glances before Morgan said, "Really, Hotch? You want to know what we think?" Hotch nodded, and Morgan sighed before saying, "Well, I think you should definitely do more research on this girl. I mean, come on. How can this thirteen year old have a higher IQ than Reid? Or be better with technology than Garcia? And a girl no less!" He realized what he had just said a moment too late. The women in the room had all turned red with anger, and Prentiss said, "Oh, and what's that supposed to mean? That girls are less capable than boys when it comes to being smart?"

He tried to cover it up. "No, no! That came out wrong! It's just that, well, usually teenage girls at that age are more concerned about boys and looks than being smart!" This just made them angrier.

"Oh my gosh! You just don't know when to shut up, do you?" JJ said, crossing her arms. Garcia was the reddest of them all. She refused to speak, or even look at Morgan, and she moved away when he put his hand on her shoulder.

"Well, I don't know about the rest of you, but I'd like to meet this super smart, super tech-based thirteen-year-old _girl_, " Garcia said, putting emphasis on the word _girl_, "who has better knowledge than Reid and I about how to do our jobs." The jealousy could clearly be heard in her voice, laced with curiosity.

"The person did say that she has no clue about the recommendation. And she hasn't applied," JJ said, and was about to continue, but was interrupted as a beeping noise alerted the team to a new email, from the same source. Hotch opened it, and it read:

_Agent Hotchner,_

_I don't know if you had a case, or if you just ignored what I said last time, but I have told Miss Dunman about the recommendation. She was, and still is, quite distressed about the whole thing. She wants the job, because she thinks it will be good experience, but had planned on waiting until she was older, and then trying to get in on her accord. However, I don't believe she should wait. In a few minutes, I suspect you will be getting another email. It will be from ' '. Read it, and do not reply. I expect you'll meet her soon enough anyways. Thank you._

"That's it?" Garcia said, gesturing around with her hands as the pitch of her voice rose higher and higher, until she sounded like she was shrieking. "We're all sitting here, wondering who the heck this girl is, and that's all we get?"

"Baby Girl, calm down. The girl is gonna send us an email, and we'll find out more, ok?" Derek said, grasping her upper arms as she finally allowed herself to look at him and let him touch her. Her face was still a deep red, so Derek continued, "Just take a few deep breaths, sit down, and calm down, ok?" She nodded, and he led her to the chair she had vacated when she was still mad at him. She sat down, and he did the same next to her as the team turned their attention back to the screen when they heard a beeping noise. They saw the sender: ' '. Hotch opened it, and this one read:

_Dear Unit Chief S.S.A. Aaron Hotchner (and whoever else may or may not be reading this),_

_Hello, my name is Sophie Dunman. It was recently revealed to me that someone sent you an email concerning the recommendation of myself for the Technical-Analyst-in-training spot you wish to fill. I am deeply sorry, sir, I had no idea that she would do that... Dang it, I just revealed a part of her identity! Ugh, oh well. She'll have to deal with it. Anyway, I'm terribly sorry, I wasn't going to apply until I was older, and I wasn't going to have anyone pull any strings to get there. It was a mistake, and I take full responsibility for her actions. I was wondering if I could stop by the BAU tomorrow morning to formally introduce mself and apologize to you and your team in person, assuming you told them about this. If so, please email me back with your response. If not, then don't reply, and I won't come. I understand if you are irritated, because I know I am. Thank you for taking the time to read this._

_With the deepest apologies,  
Sophie Dunman_

It was silent in the briefing room as everyone read the email. Then Reid spoke for the first time since the meeting began. "Let her come tomorrow, Hotch," he said, and everyone looked at him as though he were crazy. And Garcia said so.

"You must be crazy, Reid. There are images here all around us that even I can't handle, and you want a young thirteen year old girl with absolutely no experience in this field to come in here?" she exploded, turning red again, and Derek turn to her to calm her down again while the others spoke to each other.

After a few minutes of arguing, yelling, and a very frustrated Technical Analyst, Hotch finally spoke up. "Calm down, all of you! How about this: we take a vote. All who want Dunman to come in tomorrow, raise your hands." JJ, Rossi, Morgan, and Reid raised their hands. "All who don't want Dunman to come in tomorrow, raise your hands." Prentiss, Garcia, and Hotch himself raised their hands. He sighed. "Sorry, girls, but we've been overruled," he said to Garcia and Prentiss, who thought that it was too gruesome for her to come in. He wrote an email back that read:

_Miss Dunman,_

_It's perfectly alright. I understand about the incident, and yes, I told my team. We've come to an anonymous vote to let you come in tomorrow. S.S.A. Jennifer Jareau will wait for you at the entrance to the BAU. She has long, straight blond hair and will be wearing it in a ponytail with a gray suit and black shoes on. Please follow her, and she will take you to the briefing room, where you will meet the rest of the team. Please be here by 9:00 a.m., if possible. Thank you._

_Sincerely,  
S.S.A. Aaron Hotchner_

"Team dismissed," Hotch said, and he walked out with his laptop tucked under his arm. Everyone else sat there for a moment.

"Guys, are you sure about this?" Garcia asked nervously. Derek wrapped an arm around her shoulders as he answered, "Don't worry, Baby Girl. It'll be fine. Why are you worried? It's not like we'd let anything happen to her."

"I don't know, I just have a bad feeling about this," she replied, the worry etched across her features.

"Oh, stop worrying, PG. It's not a good look on you," Emily joked, making her friends smile. Rossi left first, saying he needed a drink. JJ left next, needing to get home to Henry and Will. Reid left a few minutes later, just because he didn't want to stick around the office. Emily was gone soon after, saying she had a date with her hot tub to relax, leaving Morgan and Garcia.

"Do you really believe it'll go alright?" she asked him when Emily closed the door behind herself. He looked into her eyes, and saw that there was worry mixed with fear in them.

"Yes, I do. What has you so worried and scared, Doll Face?" Derek asked, and Penelope sighed.

"I'm worried about what the mystery person said. What if she really is as great as they say? What if, if you guys decide that you like her better than me, and Hotch re-replaces me? I-I can't go back to m-my old l-life, D-D-Derek," she said, finally breaking down and sobbing on his shoulder as Derek wrapped his arms around her.

"What? Baby Girl, look at me," he said in shock. He curled his finger under her chin and lifted her head so her eyes met his. "Why would think that? Penelope Garcia, you are the best of the best. A tech wizard. You are a goddess, Baby Girl. No one could ever replace you, and we would never want them to. We love you, sweetness, and you are a part of this family, whether you think so or not."

She calmed down for a moment, and asked softly, "Do you really believe that?"

"Of course, why wouldn't I? Everyone, including you, brings their own area of specialty and uniqueness to this team, and we wouldn't be able to function if one of us was gone or replaced. At least, not the same way," he said, hoping his words were soothing her. And it looked as though he was right.

"Thank you, Hot Stuff," she replied, smiling at him. He replied, "Hey, there's my Baby Girl," and pulled her close to kiss her forehead affectionately as she giggled. "Now, come on," he said. "Let's go get some rest before tomorrow. Remember, no one else is gonna be here. It's everyone else's day off, except us." Penelope groaned.

"I know. It's going to be a nightmare," she said. "Am I staying at your place tonight? Because I kind of don't have a car to get to my place, since you drove me here two and a half weeks ago before the case, remember?" He nodded.

"Sure. You still got clothes?" he asked, and she nodded her head. "Alright, then let's go." They walked out of the BAU with Derek's arm wrapped around Penelope's waist, and Penelope's arm wrapped around his shoulders, turning off the lights and locking the doors, before getting into Derek's car and driving to his house to get some sleep before their meeting tomorrow.

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**SO? Hope you liked this chapter! Please review!**


	3. The New Case

**Hey everyone! So, you people thankfully reviewed and let me know what you liked and disliked, and to guest reviewer Anonymous Person, I know it seems that way, but it'll come later in the story! Thanks for telling me! Alright, here we go!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything you recognize! Any copyright infringements are not intended.**

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_"It is better to be looked over than overlooked."-Mae West_

_Entrance to the BAU, Quantico, VA_

JJ stood just past the security at the entrance to the BAU, patiently waiting for Sophie Dunman, although she had no idea what the girl looked like. Despite her extensive knowledge of Sophie's achievements and IQ scores, the mystery woman had neglected to send the team a picture of the girl, so JJ was just hoping Sophie would recognize her by the description Hotch had given. She watched as person after person filed in to go their different departments in the unit, and checked her watch. It was eight fifty-eight. JJ looked over her shoulder, half-expecting to see Hotch coming to her to see what was taking so long. _Well, he did say to come at nine, _she thought to herself. She felt a tap on her shoulder.

"Excuse me? Are you S.S.A. Jennifer Jareau? And if not, do you know where I could find her?"

JJ felt her eyes widen and her eyebrows raise for a moment as she got her first look at the girl in front of her. She was of medium height, had very curly ringlets that could only be described as somewhere between light brown and dark blonde, and had hazel eyes. She wore thick-rimmed black glasses, and had blue braces on her white teeth. Her outfit was... well, let's just say the only other person she knew who dressed like that was their Technical Analyst, who's very unique sense of style always grabbed your attention. The girl was wearing a neon greenish-yellow shirt that said, "Peace, Love, & Happiness!" with little pictures of peace signs, hearts, and smiley faces in the background. She wore, in a stark difference from her _look at me! _shirt, a navy blue plaid skirt, and bright pink leggings underneath it. To top it off, she wore pink and black sneakers and donned a multi-colored rose in her hair. She was also wearing several rubber bracelets that said things like, "Luck 'O' The Irish" and "Raise Epilepsy Awareness" on them, and wore an emerald set in a gold ring on her left ring finger. She looked absolutely bizarre, and she knew it.

"Miss? Did you hear me?"

JJ shook her head and realized that she had been staring. The girl was waiting for an answer. "I'm sorry, yes, I'm Agent Jareau. Are you Sophie Dunman?" she asked, half-hoping she was so that she could get to know this odd-looking girl in front of her.

"Yes, that's me!" she answered happily. "Well, sort of. My name is Sophina Katarina Dunman, but everyone calls me either Sophie or Soph. My parents are kind of hippies, and they don't believe in last names, or giving their children normal, average names. I mean, how many people do you know named Sophina?" she asked, and JJ laughed.

"So far, only one," she answered, and Sophie turned red with embarrassment.

"Oh! I'm so sorry, I'm babbling! You probably don't want to hear all this. Sorry, I'll shut up now," she said. _Self-confidence is definitely a problem with this girl, _JJ noted. She heard a voice behind her call out, "Yo, JJ!" She turned around and saw Anderson running towards her.

"JJ, Hotch says that he needs to see you, and he looks kind of mad," he said as he reached her, and she looked down at her watch. It read 9:08.

"Oh man, we are so late!" she exclaimed, grabbing Sophie's wrist and starting to run in the way of the briefing room with the girl stumbling behind her. "Thanks Anderson!" she called back to him, and faintly heard him yell back, but she was running too fast to hear what he said. Finally, Sophie regained her balance and fixed her backpack so both straps were on her shoulders, and she followed JJ to the room. When they reached it, JJ opened the door and they spilled into the room, panting, trying to catch their breath. Everyone looked on in surprise as Hotch said, "JJ, when I told Anderson I needed to see you, I didn't mean you had to run through the halls of the BAU to get here within the minute!"

"I know, but... but he said you looked mad," she said, finally catching her breath at the same time as Sophie.

"Is this Sophie Dunman?" asked Reid in surprise. JJ looked at him.

"No, Reid. I just dragged some random thirteen-year-old girl through the halls of the BAU with me to take her here. You know, for a genius, you ask some pretty stupid questions!" she said, smiling.

Sophie waved at everyone, but backed up a bit when a black-haired woman stood up and held out her hand. She hesitantly shook it, and the woman said, "Nice to meet you, Sophie Dunman. I'm S.S.A. Emily Prentiss." Sophie nodded, but didn't say anything as Emily let go of her hand and sat back down. Next, an older man with slightly gray hair walked over and shook her hand. "S.S.A. David Rossi," he introduced himself, and she gasped.

"David Rossi? No way! I've read almost all of your books, I literally have like, three books left to read, and then I'll have read them all! They're so well-written, and so interesting! I love them! How do you write them with such detail? You never miss even the smallest thing!"

Rossi chuckled a bit as she continued on and she stopped suddenly, blushing again. "Oh! I'm babbling again, aren't I? Ugh, sorry, bad habit!" she exclaimed, hiding her face with her hair. He chuckled some more.

"No, it's ok. I like hearing that people like my books," he said as he sat back down. The tall, skinny man that JJ had called Reid stood up and walked over to her, but didn't shake her hand.

"I'm Dr. Spencer Reid," he said. "Sorry, but I'm not going to shake your hand. Do you know how many pathogens-"

"-can pass through your hands when you shake them? Yes, yes I do," she finished for him. Everyone looked surprised, and Spencer look pleased. "It's a pleasure to meet you." He went back to his seat looking impressed. Next, a dark-skinned, physically built man stepped forward. She held out her hand, but her ignored it and pulled her in for a bear hug, grinning crazily the whole time.

"Ah, kid, you're gonna make a good addition to this team," he said, and she could hear the smile in his voice. She gently hugged him back for moment before letting go, looking totally confused. "S.S.A. Derek Morgan," he said, holding out his fist. She fist-bumped him, and he said, "Yeeaahh," and went to sit back down. She laughed for a moment at how weird he seemed. Then she was encased in another hug from someone she couldn't see, but she could tell it was a woman. She hugged her back a bit longer, because she felt more comfortable for some reason with this woman than the rest of them. Except maybe Prentiss. When the woman let go, she saw that it was a bright, bubbly blonde who was dressed in a similar fashion to herself.

"Hello! I'm Penelope Garcia, the BAU's Goddess of All-Knowing," she giggled, and Derek Morgan said from behind her, "What she means is, she's our Technical Analyst." Garcia turned and said, "Oh, you're the one who gave me the name anyways!" He smirked and shrugged. Sophie laughed at their banter and said, "It's great to meet you all! And now, it's time to do what I came here for." She sighed.

"I am very sorry about the email my... oh well, you'll find out soon enough, I suppose. I'm sorry for the email my Aunt Erin sent to you," she said, and everyone gasped.

"Erin? As in, Erin Strauss?" Rossi asked, and she nodded.

"Do you know her? She said that she worked with you all," Sophie asked inquisitively. The team nodded in shock but didn't say anything. She rolled her eyes. "Well? What connection does she have to you all?"

"She's our Section Chief. Which basically means that she's our boss," Prentiss said. Sophie's eyes widened.

"Of course! That's why she said she had no doubt that I'd get this job! Ugh, she's so frustrating sometimes!" she vented, and everyone leaned back a bit, because she seemed to radiate anger. Sophie noticed this, and giggled a bit.

"Are you guys _scared_ of me?" she laughed, and immediately, there were mixed reactions from opposite genders. The women nodded slightly, while the men immediately straightened up and shook their heads vehemently. They didn't want to seem weak, which Sophie had anticipated. She laughed a bit more, then sobered up and donned a forlorn expression, making everyone wonder who had died.

"Alright, back to why I came. I wanted to apologize. I know, it must've seemed as though I asked for her to do this, but I didn't, and I wanted you all to know that. I really do want this job, because it'll be a great experience for me, but I am willing to wait until I'm older, and I can support myself and any expenses the job may have. And I was going to wait until I was legally old enough to carry a gun with me at all times. You can never be too careful," she said, and opened her mouth to continue, but was interrupted by Erin Strauss herself walking into the room, looking very distressed.

"Agent Hotchner, I..." she trailed off when she realized Sophie was in the room, and feigned innocence. "Why is there a child present? And who is she?"

"Stop pretending, Aunt Erin. They know," Sophie said, crossing her arms as she spoke and not looking at her aunt. Clearly, there was still some tension between them, and the team decided to jump right into it before they started going at it.

"What were you saying, Erin?" Rossi asked, knowing it would distract her for the time being.

"I'm terribly sorry, agents, but it seems you have another case; this one is important. Not that the others aren't, of course, but this..." she trailed off, clearly at a loss for words. The team was stunned. In all the time they had worked with Erin Strauss, never before had they seen her speechless.

"What happened that is so important that we don't even get a day off?" Prentiss asked, rather snippily. She didn't care right now; she was exhausted, and hungry, because she had skipped breakfast to get here early so she could get some more paperwork done. And she, like everyone else, had had nightmares concerning the images they had seen on the case that were now burned into their brains.

"Watch your tone, Agent Prentiss. Anyways, this case is important because it has to do with the U.S. government and their children," she responded, and everyone gasped.

"Wait a minute. We're part of the government, too. Does that mean..." JJ trailed off, realizing at the same time as Hotch that their children were in potential danger.

"What happened?" Garcia asked cautiously.

"Recently, the Pennsylvanian police forces found the bodies of several missing government children. They were children of the Senators and the Representatives alike. And even more recently, children have been kidnapped from several back-up agents of this department," Strauss said, and everyone shivered. JJ's and Hotch's eyes widened, thoughts immediately preoccupied with thoughts of their children and the Boston Reaper, whom they both knew was dead, but they were being paranoid.

"What do we do?" Reid asked.

"Well, the first thing we need to do is head to Pennsylvania. You'll have to be briefed on the plane, because we have no time to waste," Strauss explained. "These children were taken a few hours ago, and the other bodies were hidden in well-wooded areas. We need to get going," she said.

"Wait, are you going with us?" Morgan asked.

"Yes, they requested that all important people and the entire team be brought there. Which includes you, Agent Garcia," she said, glancing at Penelope who, up until that point, had been silent. She let out a small squeal of happiness. Sophie laughed a little under her breath. Clearly, she didn't get to go places with the team too often. However, she regretted the laughter, because Penelope noticed and looked towards her. "What are we going to do with her?" she asked, gesturing to Sophie.

"I understand that you don't want her in the field, Agent Hotchner, but we have no choice. We must leave immediately. We are taking two jets, one for you and your team, and one for myself and my people; Sophina will travel with us," she said, and Sophie rolled her eyes again at the usage of her full name. The others, aside from JJ and Hotch, looked at Sophie curiously, because they didn't know her real name.

"No, Aunt Erin. I want to go with the Technical Analyst. After all, that's the job I'd be training for, if I had it," she said, and glanced at Garcia. Strauss shook her head.

"No, Sophina. You are not going to be a bother to Agent Hotchner or any of his team members while they're trying to do their jobs," she said, grabbing Sophie's left forearm. Sophie jerked it away and began to say something, but was again interrupted, this time by Garcia.

"With all due respect, ma'am, you're wrong," she said, and everyone's eyes snapped to her. Morgan was paying special attention, because of what had happened the previous night. This was completely different. "She wouldn't be a bother, and I'd be glad to take care of her while she's with us."

"Well, Ms. Garcia, she's not going with you, no matter how much she may want to. She needs to learn that things don't always go her way," Strauss said coldly.

"Erin," Rossi interrupted. She glanced at him. "Let her come with us. We'll take care of her."

She looked at each of the team members' faces. Hotch looked worried, as did JJ, but they were preoccupied with thoughts of their children. Prentiss looked tired, but underneath she looked... almost concerned. Reid was too focused on the case file, Rossi and Morgan looked pleading, and Garcia looked stubborn and determined. She sighed, and said, "Fine. You can go with them. But remember, as soon as she steps onto that plane, she is your responsibility." She looked directly at Garcia when saying this. Penelope only nodded, a small grin gracing her lips.

She rounded on Sophie. "And you," she said sharply, "Remember, when you are on that plane, you report to no one except Agent Garcia, and when you get off it, you are back in my care, like your mother wanted." Sophie looked a bit stricken at the mention of her mother, but nodded stiffly. Erin Strauss surveyed the people in the room with her and said, "Wheels up in 20." Then she left.

Sophie let out a sigh as Strauss left the room and collapsed in an open chair, then realized that everyone was staring at her. "What?" she asked defensively. Everyone immediately stopped looking at her, but as she leaned back to replay the scene in her head, she heard the soft voice of Penelope Garcia whisper in her ear, "We'll talk later on the plane." Sophie sighed. She knew that was coming. She nodded slightly, and everyone got up and headed to the planes.

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**I just can't seem to stop myself from making these chapters longer and longer! But writing this kind of story is fun! Oh, and I don't mean to say that anyone with the name Sophina or Katarina is weird, I'm just trying to make a point that seems to matter to Sophie! Please review!**


	4. Sophie's Story

**Hey everyone! Ok, so I'm just going to address what seems to be everyone's biggest problem with this story: that Sophie is smarter than Reid. This will be addressed soon! And I understand that 13 year olds wouldn't be allowed anywhere near the FBI, but this is fiction, and she's not technically in the field or even in the FBI. Yet. Ok, now that that's done, here we go!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything you recognize! Any copyright infringements are not intended.**

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_"It is better to be looked over than overlooked."-Mae West_

_BAU Team Jet_

Sophie glanced one last time at her aunt's displeased expression, sighed, and stepped onto the jet. _Oh, well, _Sophie thought to herself. _She'll have to deal with it. After all, I wasn't exactly pleased after she sent that email without telling me._

When she walked through the curtain into the cabin, she gasped at how nice everything looked. She moved aside when the others came on, but her mouth was hanging open. The others laughed.

"Like what you see?" Garcia joked.

Sophie couldn't do anything but nod, as she was so unused to anything fancy, and it was also only her second time on a plane or jet. She didn't really like air travel. She was scared of heights. She turned back to Garcia and the rest of the team when she heard a pinging. They were all taking seats around the cabin. Garcia noticed the worried look on Sophie's face.

"Relax, Sophie, it's just the pilot telling us to put our seatbelts on," she reassured the young girl. "Come on, sit down." She motioned to the seat next to her. Sophie took a deep breath and nodded, taking the proffered seat. She fastened the seatbelt, and leaned her head back on the head piece of the chair, closing her eyes and taking deep breaths. All the team members noticed this.

"Sophie, are you okay?" JJ asked her, worried a bit.

"Yeah, it's just... it's nothing," Sophie replied, biting her bottom lip as she felt the plane begin to move. She shut her eyes even tighter, and Prentiss noticed that she held the armrests in a death grip.

"Sophie, are you afraid of flying?" Emily asked, realization dawning on her. The girl in question simply shrugged her shoulders.

"More or less," she said through gritted teeth.

"What does that mean?" Morgan asked curiously. Sophie, however, was getting frustrated with all the questions.

"It means that I am terrified of heights and of planes in general, any planes at all! I hate being off the ground!" she yelled, and then went back to the position she was in when Emily had asked her a question. They all exchanged looks, and Morgan reached across the table to cover Garcia's hand with his own. He gave her a meaningful look. She nodded, and no one said a word until they were allowed to get up and move. Garcia unbuckled herself and took Sophie's hand in her own. She helped Sophie walk across the cabin to the couch. Sophie was shaking like crazy, both because she was unused to being in the air and because she was so petrified of how high up they were.

When they sat down, Garcia said, "Ok, spill it. What happened to you that made you hate being off the ground so badly? And why are you in your aunt's care? Where are your parents?"

With her eyes shut tightly, Sophie said, "I didn't have a dad while I grew up. When I was one, he had an aneurysm, and they got him to the hospital, but he never made it off the table. It was just me and my mom after that. Then she met another guy, and had a baby girl with him, but he left her right after she was born. He didn't even sign the birth certificate. In all legality, she doesn't have a father."

"So, wait, you have a sister?" Garcia asked.

"Yes, but I haven't seen her in over five years," Sophie replied sadly.

"Why not? Don't you live with her?" Penelope was confused.

"No. Not since..." Sophie trailed off, getting a far away look in her eyes. Penelope rested a hand on her arm, and Sophie shook her head.

"I was eight years old. The three of us had taken a vacation to Quantico, to see Aunt Erin. We were on the flight back. We were laughing and goofing around with each other, just having fun. Then we felt the plane shake around a bit. The pilot reported that it was just some turbulence, and there was no reason to panic. So we ignored it and kept playing around. But it... it kept happening, every few minutes, and when it happened for the fifth time, my mom looked out the window. We had been sitting on the left side of the plane, by the wing. She looked out and gasped. She told us to stay in our seats, and not to look out the window. We agreed, and she got up to ask one of the hostesses something. We, being the curious children we were, looked out the window immediately after she left. That's when we saw it. The left wing had been blown up or something. Either way, we knew we were not going to finish the journey we were on. We sat back in our seats, clinging to each other. That's when the pilot's voice came over the intercom. He warned us that we were going down. Everyone started panicking, getting up and running around. My sister and I were still sitting, because we didn't know what else to do. Our mom told us not to get up. We were going to listen. All I remember is that when the plane hit the ground, my sister was knocked unconscious, my mom hadn't returned, and I was screaming at the top of my lungs. When it was over, I was still screaming, and crying. When help finally came, they had no problem finding me. They couldn't calm me down, but I remember stopping my screaming to ask where my mom and sister were. The paramedics gave up on trying to check me out after a while, because I wouldn't stay still until I knew if my family was alright. They brought me to my sister, whom they were trying to get to regain consciousness, and I knew she was alive. But my mom was no where to be seen. The next thing I remember, we were at the nearest police station, and Aunt Erin was there, and she wouldn't look at me. I saw a man, my uncle, Jimmy, and I ran to him. He avoided me, but when he left, he took Katrina with him. Katrina is my sister's name. I tried to get to her, and she tried to get to me, but we were too late. I haven't seen her since. And my mom... she didn't make it. She was found in between the cockpit and the main part of the plane. She died fast, from hitting her head off something with an edge, like the edge of a wall or something. I never got full details. I've lived with Aunt Erin ever since." Sophie told her story without any emotion. However, Penelope herself was practically bawling by the end of the story.

"That's terrible," she said, and Sophie looked into her eyes. When she saw the emotion there, she felt herself start to tear up. She tried to stop it. She hadn't cried about the accident, or even really let herself think about it, since the day after it happened. But she knew she couldn't stop it now. Sophie finally broke down, let the grief wash over her. The team stopped going over the case when they heard the sobs of the girls. Everyone walked to where they were and knelt to their level to comfort them. The only person aside from Penelope that Sophie would let touch her was Emily, and she wrapped her arms around the thirteen-year-old's shoulders as she cried. Emily looked at Garcia, who just gave her a look that said, _Not now. _Emily nodded, and they all fell asleep sometime after that, still close to each other. Hotch, JJ, and Reid fell asleep against the couch and chairs, and JJ was actually in a chair. Garcia was on a wide chair holding hands with Morgan, her head on his chest and his arm around her shoulders. And Sophie fell asleep on the couch, curled up against Emily, who was holding her close, like a child.

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**Ok, so I'm trying to make her seem more like a normal child, and I'm also trying to establish a connection between her and Emily, and Garcia and Morgan need one too! Sorry, I just had to work that in there somehow, because I love that couple! But anyways, any suggestions on how to make her seem more normal are welcome! I am going to tell you one thing: Strauss was exaggerating, and they will find out soon enough! I mean, she isn't as smart as Reid, but she is very good with computers, like Garcia! Please review!**


	5. The Big Blowout

**Hey guys! I'm trying to update as much as I can this weekend, because my laptop is being stupid and not working properly, so I'm using the desktop, but I only have it this weekend, because it also needs to go get fixed! I swear, computers are just not my thing... Anyways, here's the next chapter!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything you recognize! Any copyright infringements are not intended. Oh, and the things Sophie likes to do came from suggestions sent to me by sophie83540! Thanks again!**

* * *

_"It is better to be looked over than overlooked."-Mae West_

_Hickory Run State Park, Carbon County, PA_

Morgan and Prentiss were traipsing through the woods of the Hickory Run State Park, where the bodies of the government children had recently been found. The area had been crossed off with police tape, even though no one was brave enough to even go near the park anymore. Not after what had been found there.

"This is where the first three bodies were found," the police chief said, gesturing to three areas of dirt where the grass and leaves had died under the bodies. "The kids were bound and gagged, and had blood all over them."

"There were two males, one female, ages 10, 12, and 9, right?" Morgan questioned, bending down to touch the dirt where the 9-year-old girl had lain. He realized something as the chief confirmed what he asked.

"When were they found?" he asked, straightening up.

"Around 9 this morning, why?" the chief asked.

"The dirt's still warm," Morgan said, "And it's the middle of autumn."

Prentiss bent down to touch the other two spots, then the spot where the girl had been. "Morgan, I think the girl was killed last, and very recently."

"Why?" he asked, curious.

"Because the dirt she was laying in is still warm, but the other two spots aren't," she said, standing up and brushing her hands on her pants.

"I'll call Hotch," Morgan said, his cell already in his hand.

* * *

_Hickory Run Police Office, Carbon County, PA_

"Hotchner," Hotch answered as his cell phone rang.

"Hotch, it's Morgan. We're still at the scene, but we found something."

"What did you find?" Hotch said, putting Morgan and Prentiss on speaker.

"The dirt that the girl was laying on was still warm, like she had been killed last and recently. But the dirt the boys were laying on wasn't warm in the slightest," Prentiss answered.

"Ok, we sent Rossi and Reid to pick up the M.E. reports and to look at the bodies. Hopefully they can give us more information. Thanks," Hotch said.

"No problem," Morgan and Prentiss answered in unison, and before they hung up, Hotch, JJ, and Penelope could hear them jinxing each other. Penelope silently laughed, shaking her head as JJ smiled and Hotch just sighed a little. Penelope turned to look at the board, where the pictures (ugh!) and information was, when she caught sight of Sophie. The girl was sitting next to a police officer's desk in the main room, slumping a little, looking bored. However, her aunt saw the girl too, and snapped something at her. Sophie immediately straightened up, and when her aunt wasn't looking, she rolled her eyes before catching Garcia's eye.

"_Help me,_" Sophie mouthed, pointing at her aunt, being subtle about it. Penelope giggled a little and mouthed back, "_Hold on, I'll see what I can do._"

"Bossman," she said, typing on her computer while she waited for Hotch to reply.

"What is it, Garcia?" he said, not looking up from the file he was studying.

"Hotch," she said, getting his attention. She almost never called him by his name.

"Yes?" he said, looking up at her.

"Look," Garcia said, nodding her head in Sophie's direction. He looked at the girl and watched as she let out a sigh and leaned back in her chair before straightening up again as her aunt spoke sharply to her. Her hands were fidgeting, her right leg was bouncing up and down, and she was clearly getting antsy. Hotch looked at Garcia again.

"What would you like me to do?" he asked, sounding torn between wanting to help her but thinking that there was nothing he _could _do.

"Get out there, make up some excuse to tell Strauss, and get her out of there!" Garcia said. Hotch opened his mouth to argue, but was cut off by JJ.

"Oh, if you're not going to do it, then I am! Look at the poor girl!" she said, and she walked out of the room. Garcia and Hotch watched her as she walked up to Strauss.

"Excuse me, Chief Strauss, but Agent Hotchner would like to borrow Sophie... I mean, Sophina," she fixed her mistake as Strauss glared at her.

"For what?" Strauss asked coldly, but JJ would not be intimidated.

"He wants to see her prove that everything you said about her in those emails is true," she said, standing tall and looking the older woman in the eyes.

"Of course it's true, why would I lie about it? And why did he send you to tell me this? Why didn't he come out himself?" Strauss questioned, glancing at Sophie. She sighed angrily. "For goodness sake, Sophina, this is the last time I'm going to tell you: sit up straight and behave like a young lady should!"

Sophie hadn't been paying attention, but when her aunt spoke, she did as she was told and caught JJ's eye before the blonde profiler turned back to Strauss.

"Agent Hotchner is busy looking over the case right now, and he only has a few minutes to spare. He sent me out to get Sophina so he wouldn't have to waste any of it," JJ said, and as her assistant whispered something in her ear, Strauss finally relented. "Fine, take her. But tell Agent Garcia that the same rules that applied on the jets apply here. In fact, tell Agent Garcia that I am officially putting Sophina in her care for the duration of this trip, since you all seem so eager to keep her away from me," Strauss said sharply, before turning, grabbing Sophie by the arm, and thrusting her towards JJ. She turned back around to continue her discussion with the police officer and their team as JJ grabbed Sophie's arm silently and dragged her to the conference room.

When they were in there with the door shut, she let go and said, "I'm sorry, I had to make it look like I was as displeased as she was. I tried not to grab you too hard."

Sophie nodded and said, "It's alright, I understand. So, what happened out there? She looked pretty furious."

"Well, let's just say that I peeved her off enough to make her officially put you in Garcia's care for the rest of the trip. Which means," JJ raised her voice a little as Garcia started squealing in happiness, "that you will be taken care of by our team, instead of your aunt's."

"Yes!" Sophie said, pumping her fist in the air. "Oh, and thank you for rescuing me from Aunt Boredom back there."

"No problem," Garcia said, smiling as Sophie sat down in the seat next to her. "So, what do you like to do?"

"Well, I like to read, and I mean a lot, and I like to listen to and sing country and pop music," she replied, blushing slightly.

"Ooh, could you give us a sample?" Penelope asked excitedly. Sophie laughed a little.

"Um, definitely not," she said, and Garcia pouted.

"Why not? We won't laugh!" she pleaded as the rest of the team walked in the room, taking seats around the table.

"We won't laugh at what?" Morgan asked as he took the seat next to Penelope, kissing her on the top of the head in the process. Sophie smiled a bit at that. _They would make such a cute couple,_ she thought to herself.

"At Sophie if she sings for us! She said she likes to sing, and I asked if she would sing for us, and she said no!" Penelope said, leaning back in her chair, crossing her arms, and pouting.

"Aw, come on, Junior," Morgan said, pleading with Sophie too.

"Junior? What's that supposed to mean?" she asked with a smirk and a raised eyebrow.

"Just because you're younger than the rest of us," he said nonchalantly.

"Maybe later, when it's time to go..." Sophie trailed off, realizing something. "Where am I staying tonight? There's no way I am staying with my aunt anymore on this trip. She's too furious."

"You can stay with me! I'll take the couch," Penelope offered.

"No, Agent Garcia, I couldn't possibly let you do that. You can have your bed; I'll take the couch," Sophie said, not wanting to be a burden to the already over-generous woman.

"First of all, it's Penelope, or Garcia, not Agent Garcia. It's too formal. And second of all, are you sure? I wouldn't mind," she said.

"I'm positive. And alright, Garcia," Sophie teased. Garcia chuckled, and Hotch said, "That goes for the rest of us, too. Either first or last names, no 'Agent Prentiss' or 'Agent Hotchner' or anyone else if you're going to be sticking with us."

Sophie nodded, and Emily asked, "So? Will you sing for us? Now?"

"No, Agent... I mean, no, Emily," Sophie said, correcting herself as Emily gave her a look. "I said later."

"Oh, come on. Please?" she pleaded, and she made such a face that Sophie finally gave in.

"Ugh, fine! Only if you'll stop bothering me!" she said as everyone gave Emily high-fives. They all nodded and eagerly sat forward in their chairs.

"Um, I need a computer or someone's phone," Sophie said shyly. Penelope handed her the laptop she was holding. Sophie gratefully took it and typed a few things in, before she said, "This song is called 'Leave Love Alone' by Carrie Underwood," and pressed a button. Country music began to play, and Sophie took a deep breath and closed her eyes as she started to sing.

_Funny how love can make you feel,  
Crush you like a ton of steel,  
Fake you out, make you think it's real,  
Funny how love can make you feel,_

_Ooh (x2), yeah!_

_(Chorus:)_

_I just can't leave love alone (x3)__I just can't leave love alone, hey!_

Before she started singing the second verse, Sophie opened her eyes to see Hotch and Emily dancing with each other, as well as Morgan and Garcia. Rossi was sitting at the table with his eyes closed, his head and one of his hands bobbing along with the music. JJ and Reid were also dancing together, and Sophie giggled inwardly as she started singing again, keeping her eyes open this time.

_Funny how love can make you fly,  
Sweetest buzz and the highest high,  
When you can't walk to the other side,  
Ain't it funny how love can make you fly,_

_Ooh, I can't stop it,  
Ooh, gotta have it, want it,  
I can't help it!_

_(Chorus)_

Sophie laughed as she was pulled from her seat by Rossi and they began to dance around the room with the rest of the team. Luckily, they had the blinds closed, so no one on the outside could see what they were doing.

_Come on,_

_Burn me once,  
But it don't sink in,  
I just keep comin' back again,  
Yeah, Yeah, Yeah!_

_(Chorus x2)_

_Uh, I can't leave it!_

As the music faded out, everyone cheered for Sophie, forgetting where they were. Suddenly, there was a knock at the door. Everyone quickly returned to the places and positions they had been in before the song. They had just made it back to their seats when the door opened and none other than Erin Strauss walked in.

"There's an awful lot of noise coming from this room," she said suspiciously, looking directly at Sophie, who just stared back innocently.

"I'm afraid I don't know what you're talking about, Aunt Erin," she said in the sweetest little girl voice she could muster. "We've just been in here reviewing the case."

"Sit up straight, Sophina," Strauss snapped, but before Sophie could do it, she felt a hand on her shoulder. She looked up to see Penelope standing behind her. However, she wasn't looking at Sophie. She was looking at Strauss.

"With all... _possible_ respect, Ma'am, you placed Sophie under my care for the duration of this trip, so you don't have control over her right now. I do," she said somewhat coldly. The room was deathly silent as the two women glared at each other. The team was shocked. They had never known Penelope Garcia, _their _Penelope Garcia, speak this way to anyone. However, the team knew that she felt very protective of this girl who so obviously needed all the love and support she could get.

"Well, Agent Garcia, I am placing her back in my care. And her name is Sophina," Strauss said, and made a move to grab Sophie, but Penelope moved her back a bit, pulling her out of the chair in the process. She moved Sophie behind herself as Morgan, Hotch, Emily, and JJ stood up and moved to her sides. Reid and Rossi hesitated to get in the middle of this, but they, too, got up and stood at the ends of the line the team had formed.

"Actually, since she is in my care right now, only I can make the decision to put her in your care before the end of this trip," Garcia said, with Reid adding a bunch of legal facts to support her. Erin looked at the team, and saw in each pair of eyes she looked into the same strong determination to keep the girl away from her. She turned and slammed the door as she left, fuming. The team turned to look at Sophie, but Sophie would only look at the floor, smiling as tears gathered in her eyes. She raised her head, looked at the team, and whispered, "Thank you." She hugged them all in a group hug before they all went back to work, with Sophie quietly singing in the background, both to keep herself busy, and to keep the team sane while they looked at this horrible case.

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**Okay, so the next chapter will have a little more action in it, but I needed to get Sophie away from Strauss! Sorry, in case you can't tell, I really don't like her! I don't know why, but I just don't! Please review!**


	6. Important! Please Read!

**Hey guys, it's me. Listen, I don't know if I'm going to continue this story. I've been getting a lot of negative reviews, and, despite the extensive favorites and follows, I don't know if it's worth it. I'd like to hear your opinions, either in reviews or PMs! Let me know what you think! Thanks!**

**-rosie0522**


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